Page 1 of 1

Raja Bell on Shaq and the "Kobe signal"

Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2019 11:52 pm
by GeorgeMarcus
Like Lakers fans have been saying, I don't think there is any live beef between Shaq and Kobe. That said I thought this was funny:

https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-raja-bell-reveals-shaquille-oneal-used-secret-signal-with-l-a-teammates-to-stop-passing-to-kobe-bryant/?utm_source=mj&utm_medium=fb&utm_campaign=social&fbclid=IwAR27AM11SKDrYAuulF5g8m0oSasy-C1cR0HMQ47aXREeLXMB8R8dgybJtg4

“Shaq told me a story. We had a kid named Gordon Giricek on our Suns team, he had gotten there, and Gordon would go in the game, and Gordon was about his buckets,” Bell said, via CBS Sports. “So Gordon would get in, and no matter what we were doing, no matter what the flow or the chemistry was, Gordon would be just, you know, shooting the ball. Gordon was my guy, I played with him in Utah."

“But Shaq started saying ‘hey guys, this is the symbol’ (twitches thumbs downward) ‘when I give you this, Gordon doesn’t get the ball anymore.’ And I’m like ‘dude what is the background on that, where’d you come up with that?’ And he was like ‘when Kobe was young, he would be going in and just trying to get ’em, so the rest of us had a universal kind of code that if we looked at each other and went (gives signal) then that meant Kobe didn’t get the ball anymore.’ "

I also enjoyed the Gordan Giricek name drop. A true blast from the past.

Re: Raja Bell on Shaq and the "Kobe signal"

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 12:02 am
by Sofia
GORDON GIRICEK

Re: Raja Bell on Shaq and the "Kobe signal"

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 12:17 am
by homecourtloss
GeorgeMarcus wrote:We had a kid named Gordon Giricek on our Suns team.


Sounds weird reading “a kid named Giricek” as if he’s a complete unknown whom nobody has heard of, but then again, I suppose RealGM isn’t the rest of the world.

Re: Raja Bell on Shaq and the "Kobe signal"

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 12:20 am
by zimpy27
That was great

Re: Raja Bell on Shaq and the "Kobe signal"

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 12:21 am
by GeorgeMarcus
homecourtloss wrote:
GeorgeMarcus wrote:We had a kid named Gordon Giricek on our Suns team.


Sounds weird reading “a kid named Giricek” as if he’s a complete unknown whom nobody has heard of, but then again, RealGM isn’t the rest of the world.


Lol I thought the same thing, and got a little defensive on Gordon's behalf

Re: Raja Bell on Shaq and the "Kobe signal"

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 12:24 am
by lakerz12
Image

Re: Raja Bell on Shaq and the "Kobe signal"

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 1:29 am
by mixerball
its Gordan, but ok.

Re: Raja Bell on Shaq and the "Kobe signal"

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 1:39 am
by GeorgeMarcus
mixerball wrote:its Gordan, but ok.


Yeesh, I just assumed it was spelled right in the article :oops: My apologies to Gordin

Re: Raja Bell on Shaq and the "Kobe signal"

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 1:43 am
by Mylie10
I've always been on #TeamShaq when it comes to those two.

Re: Raja Bell on Shaq and the "Kobe signal"

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 2:07 am
by GYK
Shaq was committed enough because he was uber talented.
Kobe was too much Brett Farve.

Re: Raja Bell on Shaq and the "Kobe signal"

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 3:58 am
by Sofia
mixerball wrote:its Gordan, but ok.

Sorry Mrs Giricek

Re: Raja Bell on Shaq and the "Kobe signal"

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 4:31 am
by Silverballer
I remember this one time back in 2005 when Gordan Giricek was with the Utah Jazz and they play the Lakers one night. So Giricek was guarding Kobe and was able to stay in front of Kobe this one play. Kobe pump fakes like two times and Giricek doesn’t fall for it. Kobe pump fakes a third time and Gordan is high up on the air then Kobe of course initiates contact and makes an and one jumpshot. It’s so much more hilarious to watch than my plain description but I haven’t been able to find a clip of that play..

Re: Raja Bell on Shaq and the "Kobe signal"

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 4:35 am
by lonzo_pelota
it was the same symbol for the hack-a-shaq used by coaches

Re: Raja Bell on Shaq and the "Kobe signal"

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 4:37 am
by GeorgeMarcus
lonzo_pelota wrote:it was the same symbol for the hack-a-shaq used by coaches


Just by chance or did they coordinate?

Re: Raja Bell on Shaq and the "Kobe signal"

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 5:18 am
by rockmanslim
GeorgeMarcus wrote:
mixerball wrote:its Gordan, but ok.


Yeesh, I just assumed it was spelled right in the article :oops: My apologies to Gordin


Not surprised a site like "clutchpoints" doesn't even know how to spell his name (is that site, along with Fansided, one of the places where all the wannabe writers fled when bleacherreport turned legitimate? seems like it), but even CBS sports got it wrong:

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/raja-bell-shaquille-oneal-had-a-secret-code-with-lakers-teammates-to-stop-passing-kobe-bryant-the-ball/

You're better than this, CBS, c'mon man. It's even pronounced with an ahh sound Gordaaaaahhn Giricek. Gordaaaaahn Giricek. Gorlaaaaaaami. Gorlaaaaaami. You call yourselves basketball writers?

Re: Raja Bell on Shaq and the "Kobe signal"

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 6:08 am
by Rich Michmond
There's a better story with Shaq and Giricek out there:
https://eu.azcentral.com/story/sports/heat-index/2018/01/18/shaq-gordan-giricek-steve-nash-chokehold-phoenix-suns-story-z/1044271001/

"Hill redacted a main character from his other story, sharing only that O’Neal put a sleeper hold on a teammate. It was no exaggeration.

"The Heat Index filled the gaps in his anecdote. It was April 2008. Imagine the Suns environment after a crushing Game 1 loss at San Antonio when Tim Duncan made a game-tying overtime 3-pointer to spur his team to victory.

"There was an awkward discomfort about the off days in San Antonio and a sense that an ashen Mike D’Antoni was coaching the team for a final time.

"Who knew just how much he was handling?

"It turns out O’Neal and Gordan Giricek, who had been with the Suns for all of six weeks, mixed it up verbally during a closed practice to the point that O’Neal auditioned for his WWE future. He put Giricek in a sleeper hold, except it was no fake. Giricek passed out.

"Giricek played the remainder of the season, but it was his last NBA season."

Re: Raja Bell on Shaq and the "Kobe signal"

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 1:38 pm
by mixerball
GeorgeMarcus wrote:
mixerball wrote:its Gordan, but ok.


Yeesh, I just assumed it was spelled right in the article :oops: My apologies to Gordin

i said its okay. no worries GourgeMurces.
Sofia wrote:
mixerball wrote:its Gordan, but ok.

Sorry Mrs Giricek

his wifes name is sofia so hmmm.

but srsly, i dont think his wife (natasa) would have anything positive to say about him as they had a very ugly divorce

Re: Raja Bell on Shaq and the "Kobe signal"

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 1:48 pm
by dautjazz
mixerball wrote:
GeorgeMarcus wrote:
mixerball wrote:its Gordan, but ok.


Yeesh, I just assumed it was spelled right in the article :oops: My apologies to Gordin

i said its okay. no worries GourgeMurces.
Sofia wrote:
mixerball wrote:its Gordan, but ok.

Sorry Mrs Giricek

his wifes name is sofia so hmmm.

but srsly, i dont think his wife (natasa) would have anything positive to say about him as they had a very ugly divorce


I guess Gordan was shooting his load around even though she gave him the thumbs down

Re: Raja Bell on Shaq and the "Kobe signal"

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 2:34 pm
by Mamba Mentality
Raja and Kobe weren't exactly best friends, and Shaq has a history of fabricating stories, why does this not seem believable...